Following a brief period in which it seemed that US foodstamp recipients may have peaked, with those living in poverty maxing out at 46.514 million in December 2011, and then declining modestly for the next few months, June saw a new surge in those Americans living in poverty and thus eligible for foodstamps, with 173,600 new entrants into the system, bringing the total to a new all time high of 46.670 million and once again rising fast. Furthermore, with subsequent emergency events affecting the heartland due to the drought, the administration has made sure even more Americans will be eligible going forward. As a result expect the July and August numbers to promptly surpass 47 million on their way to the psychological resistance level of 50 million. Indicatively, the 173,600 increase in Foodstamps recipients in June was three times greater than Americans finding jobs (64,000, most of which part-time) according to the BLS. Finally, a new record was also breached for American households on foodstamps, which now hit 22.4 million, an increase of 106,298 households. The average benefit per household decline once more, this time to $276.5. Not an all time low, but just above it.

Persons on Foodstamps:

Households on foodstamps:

Welfare dependency has been encouraged for a long time, even though it is clearly unsustainable.  How far away is the day of reckoning?

The flaws inherent to both capitalism and democracy intersect, to create a 'perfect storm' to which there is no easy fix.
Obama pledged "change" ostensibly against Wall street style capitalism, but in practice just hastened the demise by buying votes with welfare.  Romney appears to be taking the opposite tack - winding back welfare dependency, in favour of more robber-baron capitalists.
No matter who they choose the result is the same.

... wrote on Sep 5^th, 2012 at 12:24pm:


Knock out the darkies. Amerika's a Christian country.